MP: There is no relevant body in Armenia that would take  responsibility for the safety of citizens of the republic on the  Goris-Kapan highway

ArmInfo.Azerbaijanis are carrying out large-scale construction work in the Syunik region of Armenia. Nobody has any idea what is being built there and how  dangerous it is for the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, Anna  Grigoryan, a MP from the "Hayastan" opposition faction, said on  October 5 at the opening of the next parliamentary four-day sittings. 

The parliamentary opposition continues to insist on the need to  convene a special meeting on the situation on the Goris-Kapan highway  with the participation of the head of the National Security Service  and the Ministry of Defense.

According to her, the situation in Syunik region has remained  unchanged. "After the issue of establishing a customs point was  raised at the last session (on the Goris-Kapan highway by the  Azerbaijani military, ed.  note), they even began to kidnap our  compatriots on this road, and to this day it is not known who is  responsible for this,"  said Grigoryan.

Moreover, according to her, she applied to various bodies: the  Ministry of Defense, the National Security Service, the Police, the  Ministry of Territorial Development and Infrastructures, in order to  find out how the traffic on this road will be organized, who and how  will ensure the safety of citizens. All these bodies stated that the  issue is beyond their powers, the MP said.

Thus, as noted by Grigoryan, there is no relevant body in the RA that  would take responsibility for the safety of citizens of the republic  on the Goris-Kapan highway. Today, the security of RA citizens on  this section of the road is ensured by Russian peacekeepers, she  noted.

It should be reminded that on September 12, at 12:00pm, Azerbaijan  began to stop trucks with Iranian numbers on the section under its  control not far from the Armenian village of Vorotan of the  Goris-Kapan highway passing through the territory of the Republic of  Armenia. It turned out that the Azerbaijani military was stopping  Iranian trucks and demanding a fare from them. A day later, they  detained two Iranian drivers on the Goris-Kapan section of the  highway, accusing them of transporting goods to Stepanakert. As  stated in the State Customs Committee (SCC) of Azerbaijan, Baku  established control on the section of the Goris-Kapan road passing  through the Syunik region of Armenia, "in accordance with the  Azerbaijani tax code. And vehicles are subject to a road tax, as well  as a state duty for obtaining a permit regulating international road  transport in Azerbaijan. " In connection with the situation on  September 13, the "Hayastan" parliamentary faction demanded to find a  format for organizing a discussion of the situation.

Nevertheless, on September 15 in parliament, Armenian Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan referred to the borders of Soviet Armenia and said  that the country would stubbornly follow the strategy of establishing  a strong peace in the region and urged the MPs not to give a reason  for a different understanding of the situation. He said that "we need  strong nerves" in order not to succumb to provocations today. And  Deputy Prime Minister Suren Papikyan, in an interview with  journalists, when asked whether Azerbaijanis will remain on a number  of sections of the Goris-Kapan road, noted that Armenia cannot make a  decision regarding "police stations operating on the territory of  Azerbaijan." According to him, although the countries did not go  through the process of delimitation and demarcation, but on this  section the road existing between Soviet Azerbaijan and Soviet  Armenia has already been preliminarily outlined.

On September 29, in a conversation with reporters, Chairman of the  State Revenue Committee (SRC) Rustam Badasyan said that there is no  need to establish an additional customs point, since the department  carries out its functions through the existing infrastructure.